Steve Witkoff advised the Kremlin on how to sell plan to Trump

A leaked recording published by Bloomberg reveals that Steve Witkoff, who has served as the United States special envoy to the Middle East and special envoy for peace missions, advised senior Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov on how to present to Trump a peace proposal favorable to Russia in the Ukraine war.

During the call, Witkoff reportedly suggested using flattering language such as «man of peace» to increase the likelihood that Trump would endorse a controversial 28-point pro-Kremlin peace plan for Ukraine.

On 14 October, at a tense moment in the Russia-Ukraine war, Steve Witkoff held a call with senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov in which, according to the Bloomberg transcript reported by other outlets, he coached the Russian side on how to win Trump’s backing for a Russian-favored peace proposal, widely seen as running against the interests of Ukraine and Europe.

Witkoff advised that Putin should call Trump to congratulate him for the recent Gaza ceasefire, say that Russia had supported that deal, and present Trump as a man of peace before pivoting to Ukraine and to Moscow’s own peace terms. In the transcript, Witkoff reassures Ushakov that this flattering approach will help, telling him: «I would make the call and just reiterate that you congratulate the president on this achievement, that you supported it, you supported it, that you respect that he is a man of peace and you’re just, you’re really glad to have seen it happen.» adding «From that, it’s going to be a really good call».

Witkoff then proposes explicitly borrowing the Gaza playbook and a similar structure, saying: «Here’s what I think would be amazing» before suggesting that Putin tell Trump: «Maybe he says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we’re open to those sorts of things».

In a separate passage quoted by The Guardian, Witkoff underscores the idea of transplanting Trump’s Gaza framework to Ukraine: «We put a 20-point Trump plan together that was 20 points for peace and I’m thinking maybe we do the same thing with you». Witkoff also reportedly offered guidance on how Putin himself should speak to Trump, urging the Kremlin to schedule a Trump–Putin phone call just before an important meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the White House last month.

US lawmakers from both parties have blasted Steve Witkoff for what they describe as openly favoring Russia in the Ukraine talks, with some going so far as to brand him a traitor and demand his removal. After the leaked Kremlin call was published, Democratic Representative Ted Lieu posted that Witkoff was an «actual traitor» and urged that he be fired, while Republican Representative Don Bacon similarly called for Witkoff to be dismissed over a peace plan he said was tilted toward Moscow’s interests.

Other Republicans have voiced alarm in background comments, telling reporters they were «so alarmed by Witkoff’s apparent pro-Russian stance» that they raised concerns directly with senior Trump officials, adding to a growing bipartisan chorus that questions whether the president’s special envoy is defending US, Ukrainian and European interests or advancing those of the Kremlin.

In a March interview with Tucker Carlson, Witkoff signaled his favorability toward Russia by telling Carlson «I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy», calling the idea that Moscow wants to march across Europe «preposterous» and insisting «100% not» when asked whether Russia has such intentions.